This page is designed to help faculty prepare for and conduct classes during a possible disruption to campus operations (i.e., from a pandemic or extended severe weather). This information can also be used to enhance interactivity with students and provide additional classroom resources and activities online.

Contents

Putting Course Materials and Activities Online

Placing course materials materials online will enable students to easily access them, even in events that they (or you) cannot make it to class. The following list contains a number of methods and technologies you can use to share various types of files with your students.

Canvas

Canvas is the course management system at UW Bothell. Instructors can use this tool as a central place to post course materials, resources and links as well as provide a number of online classroom activities. Use Canvas to turn in assignments online, to grade online and to create online student groups. Canvas courses are automatically created and provisioned for faculty through the UW registration system.

Course Reserves

The UW Bothell Library has electronic reserves resources available for faculty to upload to their Canvas sites for their students. For more information access the Course Reserves Library site.

Panopto

Panopto can be used by faculty to create lectures that can be accessed remotely. With Panopto faculty can record, edit, and post lectures at their leisure that students can access from any computer. To learn how to record lectures, access the UW Bothell Panopto website.

Zoom Videoconferencing

Zoom is a web and app-based videoconferencing tool that offers participant interaction via chat, meeting actions, screen sharing and breakout rooms. It is available for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android devices. Browser extensions are available for Chrome Web Store and Firefox Add-ons. An account is not needed to participate in a Zoom meeting.

Faculty and staff can obtain a free or paid Pro account to host live online courses, offer virtual office hours, breakout rooms, session recording, chat interaction and collaborate with colleagues in other locations. For more information, visit the UW Bothell Zoom website.

Communicating Online

This list provides recommendations on establishing channels of communication between faculty and students. While these will be useful during course disruptions, using different methods for discussion may also benefit you during regular operations.

Email

Email is one of the most common methods of online communication. Faculty can use a Canvas course to email an entire class, individual students and groups. To learn more go to the Canvas Conversations UW Bothell website. Additionally, the UW Email (UWNetID@uw.edu or @u.washington.edu) is given to every student, faculty, and staff member at the University of Washington and is an official method of communication. Faculty can also email their class(es) in their MyUW space under the teaching tab.

Online Discussions

Provide a very effective way for faculty and students to interact online. Discussion boards can be used to hold online conversations about classroom topics including: have students post resources, peer review work by other students and answer student questions.

The Canvas Discussions are directly built into Canvas and available to all Canvas courses.

Canvas Chat

Canvas Chat can be used to hold same-time online meetings with students for office hours or other course activities. Or consider using Zoom videoconferencing or just a telephone for office hours if circumstances prevent meeting face-to-face.

Accessing Materials From Home

Other Academic Considerations

Consider relaxing attendance policies if it is appropriate, so sick students do not feel pressured to go to class and infect others. Also, remind students if they get sick, they should stay at home 24 hours after their fever has subsided.

Consider extending the time for completing an assignment and/or reducing late penalties to make it more manageable for students who are sick to finish their work.

Consider developing a plan of continuing classroom activities if you are unable to meet face-to-face.